About the Book
-
Author:
- Robbie Couch
- Genres:
- Boy-Boy Romance
- Magical Realism
Cover Story: Face To Face
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Talky Talk: All In The Details
Bonus Factor: Tasty Business, Time Loops, Awesome Grownups
Anti-Bonus Factor: Manic Pixie Dream Boy
Relationship Status: Out of the Loop
Cover Story: Face To Face
The shades of pink and purple in the background are pretty, and the boys are recognizably Clark and Beau, caught in an intense moment of eye contact. I’m not sure what that pattern behind them is supposed to be, though. A chain link fence?
The Deal:
When high school senior Clark Huckleton admits to his therapist that he’s lonely, she has no idea he’s living through the same day for the 309th time. She advises him to make a new friend. He shrugs this off; how can he make new friends when they’ll forget him anyway? On Day 310, however, a gorgeous boy appears in his class who’s never been there in any of the previous loops. Beau Dupont whisks Clark away for a day of adventure across Chicago, introducing him to a quirky cast of characters who are also lonely in different ways. Clark feels he may have finally found a way to escape, but will his theories about time loops (and relationships) hold up in the real world?
BFF Charm: Big Sister
My heart went out to Clark the moment he started comparing all the therapists he’s seen, and realized how grateful he is to his current one. I like that he’s a baker, and his coping mechanism is baking something different every day for his little sister’s birthday party. I understand how torn up he is about his parents’ divorce and his best friend moving away, even before the time loop, but sometimes he really needs a well-meaning reminder to get out of his own head. Also, his taste in guys is questionable. See the Swoonworthy Scale below.
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Clark considers himself in love with Beau after just one day together, during which Beau humiliates a teacher during class, steals said teacher’s car, and invites Clark to skip school with him. Clark finds all this exhilarating, but I don’t. Time loop or no, it’s still wrong. Even Beau himself calls Clark out on his insta-love, pointing out that since they’re trapped in the loop together, of course their feelings will be artificially heightened. Beau’s repeated rejections – and Clark not taking no for an answer, in the desperate belief that Beau could help him escape the loop – only make things worse. Lucky for me, the romance is a much smaller part of the story than the cover suggests, because it’s also my least favorite.
Talky Talk: All In The Details
Clark is observant; no wonder, since he’s been observing the same day for so long. The details he notices, like his therapist’s big glasses looking “custom-made for a beach ball with eyes”, made me smile. Lines of dialogue repeat themselves just enough to remind you of the time loop, but not so much as to get boring, and when Clark’s loops become too similar, he kindly fast-forwards us through them until the plot moves along.
Bonus Factor: Tasty Business
Ben’s Everything Blue Bakery, one of the places Beau takes Clark, sounds like a place I’d love to visit. I could go for a blue velvet brownie right now. *sigh*
Bonus Factor: Time Loops
Time loops are a fun (albeit awful, from the trapped person’s point of view) way to develop a character in fiction. When everything else stays the same, the protagonist’s choices have a powerful impact on others, something Clark learns throughout this story.
Bonus Factor: Awesome Grownups
I like Clark’s therapist, Ms. Hazel, a caramel-addicted old lady with an office full of knick-knacks who is really good at her job. If Clark hadn’t followed her advice, he might be stuck in his time loop forever. I also like Otto, the owner of Ben’s Everything Blue Bakery, who has a heartbreaking backstory and is still the most joyful character in this novel. There is another character whose name, profession and plot role are all spoilers, but let’s just say she goes out of her way to atone for past mistakes and help others.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Manic Pixie Dream Boy
Someone who jumps around on desks, steals a car, skips school to go to a retro cinema, spends a whole paycheck at the arcade in one afternoon, and goes skinny-dipping in the river – a river with a current, that can drown you if you’re not careful – may be exciting at first, but I have a feeling the excitement would wear off eventually. Clark is quick to reassure Beau that he doesn’t need to change, but staying true to yourself is one thing; growing up is another.
Relationship Status: Out of the Loop
I’m sorry you’re trapped in this time loop, Book, because I see your potential to mature into someone really interesting. You don’t have a sequel I can read, do you?
Literary Matchmaking
What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera is another boy-meets-boy, opposites-attract romance that asks questions about fate and the universe.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston also features a love story that bends the laws of time and space.
The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta also pays tribute to the healing power of baking.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review. I’ll See You Again Tomorrow is available now.
